About the Project
A three-year PhD project is available at Forest Research, Edinburgh and University of Stirling, Scotland, UK, quantifying the impact and legacy of extreme climate events on tree growth in the UK. The project will combine tree-ring, climate and soils data and focus on species of major importance for UK forestry with the aim of better understanding and planning for climate risks of the future. The successful applicant will be based in the research groups of Dr Mike Perks (Forest Research) and Prof Alistair Jump (University of Stirling) with input from Dr Michal Petr (Forest Research) and Prof. Maurizio Mencuccini (CREAF, Spain). The project is funded at the basic UK research council rate by the University of Stirling, Forest Research and The Scottish Forestry Trust.
This three-year PhD project will use existing data and additional field-based sampling to We seek to answer the following key research questions:
[1] How widespread are historical drought impacts on UK forest trees and are historical impacts more severe in sites currently deemed to be high risk?
[2] How long-lasting are legacy impacts of severe/prolonged water deficits on forest growth?
[3] How do different forest management treatments (e.g. tree density) impact susceptibility of forest stands to drought?
[4] What is the predicted impact of future water deficits?
[5] How do UK forest tree ring chronologies compare with Southern European studies on drought impacts?
More detailed information is available by contacting Prof. Jump at [Email Address Removed]
Applicants must be EU citizens and hold a minimum of a Batchelors degree at 2:1 or above (or equivalent) in a related subject. You will ideally possess relevant experience in climate change ecology or demographic modelling. You should send a current CV and a covering letter to Prof Jump at the address below by 9 am UK time on Tuesday 13th March 2018. The covering letter must detail clearly your motivation for pursuing this research project and set out how your experience makes you suitable for the post. You should also arrange for two referee statements to be sent directly to Prof. Jump by the closing date
References
Allen, C. D. Macalady, A. K. Chenchouni, H. Bachelet, D. McDowell, N. Vennetier, M. Kitzberger, T. Rigling, A. Breshears, D. D. Hogg, E. H. (2010). A global overview of drought and heat-induced tree mortality reveals emerging climate change risks for forests. Forest Ecology and Management 259, 660–684.
Anderegg, W.R.L., Schwalm, C., Biondi. F, Camarero, J.J., Koch, G., Litvak, M., Ogle, K., Shaw, J.D., Shevlikove, E., Williams, A.P., Wolf, A., Ziaco, E. & Pacala, S. (2015). Pervasive drought legacies in forest ecosystems and their implications for carbon cycle models. Science 349, 528-531.
Cailleret, M., et al. (2016) A synthesis of radial growth patterns preceding tree motality. Global Change Biology, 23, 1675-1690.
Cavin L, Mountford E, Peterken G, Jump AS (2013). Extreme drought alters relative competitive dominance within and between species in a mixed forest stand. Functional Ecology 27, 1424-1435.
Mason, W., Petr, M., & Bathgate, S. (2012). Silvicultural strategies for adapting planted forests to climate change: from theory to practice. Journal Forest Science, 6, 265–277.
Lloret F., Keeling, E.G. & Sala, A. (2011). Components of tree resilience: effects of successive low-growth episodes in old ponderosa pine forests. Oikos, 120, 1909-1920.
Petr, M., Boerboom, L. G. J., van der Veen, A., & Ray, D. (2014). A spatial and temporal drought risk assessment of three major tree species in Britain using probabilistic climate change projections. Climatic Change, 124, 791–803.
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